


Right Where I Want To Be

by angelskuuipo



Series: Possibilities 'verse [4]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, GFY, Gen, JARVIS and Darcy are bros
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-23
Updated: 2015-01-23
Packaged: 2018-03-08 17:18:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3217250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelskuuipo/pseuds/angelskuuipo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Darcy thinks about her confrontation with Steve, James gets a kick in the pants, and hopefully things will get a little better between all of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Right Where I Want To Be

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Not mine, never have been, never will be…damn it.
> 
> This is the third installment of my Possibilities ‘Verse and immediately follows _Slipping Through My Fingers_. This might not make much sense if you haven't read the previous stories. 
> 
> Darcy finally decided to talk to me. Yay! This ends the main story line, but there will be a few tags here and there as they come up. Big thanks the Shanachie for the beta.
> 
> Written: January 22, 2015  
> 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Darcy let herself into her apartment, slipped off her shoes, and proceeded to flop face first onto her couch.

That was not how she’d planned to spend her afternoon.

Not that clearing the air with Steve had been bad. It hadn’t. It was a long time coming, actually. 

She knew she was loud and sarcastic and didn’t have as much of a brain-to-mouth filter as she should at times, but she wasn’t used to the blatant hostility Steve ‘Captain freakin’ America’ Rogers showed her; especially when she wasn’t sure what, if anything, she’d done to warrant it.

She and Jane had been living in the tower for three months when Steve Rogers arrived with Sam Wilson and James Barnes in tow. Maybe she shouldn’t have whispered, “Damn, me likey” to Jane when she saw them, but come on! That was a hell of a lot of eye candy to spring on an unsuspecting person. 

Sam apparently hadn’t heard her, but both the Captain and the former Winter Soldier had. Rogers looked at her with a raised eyebrow, but Barnes had this little smirk on his face as he looked her up and down and he was the first one to introduce himself.

It wasn’t until a few months later that Darcy was able to look back and interpret the look on Rogers’s face: jealousy.

It had all been downhill from there.

Tony, Natasha, and Maria had given the other residents the rundown on The Winter Soldier, but Darcy was determined not to let the possibility of James going Terminator get in the way of making a new friend. No one that mattered held Clint responsible for what Loki had made him do, so as far as Darcy was concerned James deserved the same courtesy.

James seemed pretty determined to have a life and she was on board with helping him learn stuff if he wanted it. He did and she got to impart all manner of Jeopardy knowledge to help him fit in. They got on like a house on fire.

Darcy tried inviting the Captain to join them a couple of times, but James would get tense and Cap would turn her down with a curt, ‘no, thank you’, so she eventually quit trying. Sam joined them a few times and it was fun, but James seemed more relaxed when it was just the two of them. 

Cap seemed to spend most of his time with Natasha and Sam. She just hoped they did more than work out. She hoped they did movie nights and other fun stuff like she and James did. It wasn’t her place to pry, so she never asked Sam what they did.

As James got more comfortable in the Tower, Rogers got more sullen and snappish with her.

She never quite got used to the shade he cast on her, and she could admit that it hurt her, but she did her best to not let it show. Steve Rogers was supposed to be a likeable guy. That was what James had told her anyway, and she’d seen evidence of it from his interactions with some of the others. As her friendship with James grew, he would share some of the things he remembered, and it made Darcy want to get to know that guy. Little Stevie seemed like her kind of bro.

Darcy held her tongue every time he would say something and James would stiffen up. She held her tongue every time he rolled his eyes when she spoke or when he would glare at her for no discernible reason. But today, today she’d reached her limit and had set the record straight. She wasn’t sure if she’d done the right thing though.

Turning her head enough so she could speak, she asked, “JARVIS, on a scale of Thor’s out of coffee to Bruce Hulking out, how badly did I screw up this afternoon?”

It took JARVIS a few minutes, but eventually he responded. She wondered if he was reviewing the footage. “I don’t believe you did _screw up_ , Miss Darcy. The situation between the two of you was becoming untenable. I think you handled yourself with grace and aplomb. You did your best not to attack the Captain as you pointed out some painful home truths and you were sympathetic without being pitying as he tried to come to terms with issues he’s been ignoring. I’m fairly certain things aren’t going to be sunshine and roses from here on out, but I do believe some progress has finally been made.”

Darcy smiled as she sat up and looked at the discreet camera in the corner of her living room. “Thank you, JARVIS. You know if you had a body I’d totally knit you a hat and scarf, right? You’re my bro.”

“I would wear them both with pride if I were able, Miss. I believe the colloquial term is that you are my sister from another mister?”

Darcy threw back her head and laughed.

She was still giggling occasionally a few minutes later when her front door opened and James walked in. He smiled at her smiling face and she was struck hard with the thought that she really did love this man.

“I love you,” she said out loud. She hadn’t meant to say it, but she didn’t regret it. It was the truth. Yeah, they’d only been a couple for a month, but they’d been friends for almost a year. Even if they broke up tomorrow, she would love him, and she really didn’t think that would change any time soon.

James blinked at her, but his smile didn’t waver. If anything, it got a little bigger. “I love you, too.”

The words rolled so smoothly off his tongue that he actually paused mid-step and just looked at her. Darcy wasn’t sure what expression was on her face, but had a feeling it might mirror the surprise on his. 

James shook his head and finished moving to sit down next to her. He cupped the side of her face and looked at her intently. “I love you, Darcy Elaine Lewis,” he stated.

Darcy’s lips twitched even as she leaned into his hand. “The full name? Really?”

He rolled his eyes and leaned in to kiss her, which she happily returned. When they came up for air, he asked, “What brought that on?”

Darcy sobered and sighed. “I had a conversation with Steve after you left for your appointment.”

James went still. “Oh?”

She nodded unhappily and shifted so she could curl her legs underneath her. James turned so he could face her and waited for her to speak.

She bit her lip then said in a small voice, “I might have maybe lost my temper a little bit.” She held up her thumb and forefinger about an inch apart.

They both jumped a little bit when JARVIS spoke. “If I may, Miss Darcy?”

“What, JARVIS?”

“Perhaps it would be better if I showed James the footage?”

She thought about it. Part of her thought that would be a whole lot better than rehashing it herself, but another part of her wanted to protect Steve’s privacy as well. He’d laid himself pretty bare. Before she could make a decision one way or the other, James spoke up.

“Yes, please, JARVIS.”

Darcy looked at him and he returned her gaze calmly. “It’s not pretty,” she pointed out.

“Did it help?” he countered.

“I think so? But I won’t know for certain until the next time we see each other.”

“Do you want me to watch it?”

“Part of me does,” she answered honestly. “The other part of me doesn’t want to violate Steve’s privacy. It got pretty raw.”

JARVIS chimed in again. “The Captain has given his permission, Miss Darcy.”

Darcy blew out a breath. “Well then. I guess have at it. It’s all pretty fresh for me, so if you don’t mind, I’m going to go take a bath.”

James studied her for another minute before he said, “Are you alright?”

She waved her hand back in a so-so motion. “I’m afraid you’ll think I overstepped. If I did, I didn’t mean to, but I think it needed to be said.” Her brow furrowed. “I’m… okay, but I’m drained.” She looked at him a little helplessly. She really didn’t know what she was supposed to be feeling.

He leaned in and kissed one more time and murmured, “Okay. Go take your bath. I’ll give this a shot. If it’s too much, I’ll stop.”

Darcy nodded and got up. Before she entered her bedroom she looked back at him and said, “He loves you, James. I understand where he’s coming from. I hope you will, too. Just…try not to be too hard on him, okay?”

James nodded once and settled into the couch. Darcy left him to it and gathered up her softest pair of sweats, one of James’s t-shirts, and her fuzziest socks to take with her to the bathroom. JARVIS already had the tub filling and she smiled.

“You’re the best, J. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome, Miss Darcy. Enjoy your soak. Would you care for any music?”

She shrugged as she undressed. She gathered her hair into a sloppy topknot and then added some of her favorite bath oil before slipping into the deliciously warm water. “Something soothing, I guess? Surprise me.”

Darcy had no idea what JARVIS chose, but it was perfect. She could feel the tension leech out of her muscles and the slight headache she’d acquired went away as she soaked. She lost track of time, but when her toes started to prune and the water had cooled some she got out. Once she was dried and dressed she padded into the living room, but James was gone.

There was a note on the side table in his elegant handwriting. 

_You did good, Doll. Gone to have a chat with the punk. Can’t promise no violence, but I’ll do my best. Dinner later?_

_Love you,_

_James_

It was so tempting to ask JARVIS what frame of mind James was in when he left, but Darcy was going to respect his privacy. She’d find out eventually. Hopefully things would get better between Steve and her now. Hopefully James and Steve could find some common ground in this day and age instead of always trying to look back. Like JARVIS, she didn’t think everything was magically fixed, but it was a start.

Life was good with the possibility of being great. As Darcy looked around her apartment, she nodded to herself. There was no place she’d rather be.

-30-


End file.
